Youth Crime Watch of Liberia is an accredited youth organization
established in 2004, to help address the need for grassroots participation in
nation building, following the age-long civil conflict which nearly
discriminated the population. We are dedicated to fighting illiteracy and
promoting reconciliation, reconstruction, peace, development and better and
healthier lifestyles in Liberia through crime prevention, youth empowerment and
employment.
The goals and visions of Youth Crime
Watch Liberia along with our past and current programs align with the missions
of diverse development, recovery and emergency/relief institutions.
Particularly those of children/youth education including TVET, life skills
development, human rights and protection including economic empowerment, women’s
leadership and participation.
Other areas include women peace and
security, and Gender-responsive budgeting and planning. Youth Crime Watch
Liberia takes a holistic approach to the progress of young people especial
disadvantaged and marginalized by not only providing them the tools and skills
needed such as educational enhancement/endowment response,
entrepreneur/business training for youth and families needing strengthening
support including practical training, micro lending, and leadership, self-esteem,
ICT skills.
At the heart of Youth Crime Watch
Liberia’s programs is a strategy or theory of change that recognizes the need
for active, empowered and enabled youth citizens who have a channel for interaction
with an accountable state and society with the goal of reducing and preventing
crime. By enabling and empowering Liberian youth through experience (community
development projects), opportunities (leadership), skill-based training
(entrepreneurship), and access (knowledge, education and technology), we help
to bridge power gaps while simultaneously decentralizing economic activities
and post-war reconstruction efforts. With programs entirely focused on building
confidence, trauma healing, business/skills training, and action for women we
help redistribute power bringing Liberia’s most at risk populations to a forum
where they can be heard, respected and incorporated into all aspects of society
and policy. While we currently focus on grassroots empowerment, we are
beginning to incorporate civil engagement and policy advocacy into many of our
programs. We do so through the establishment of innovative, collaborative
platforms and channels that could connect all Liberians. In this process
we directly reduce risk factors that lead to crime. Through our crime reporting
and prevention system and needs assessments we determine what primary
interventions are needed where. In the future, as more and more young women and
men become engaged in this system, they themselves will become leaders of
peaceful interventions and become socially responsible, active citizens.